From now until the end of the month, Vegetarian Advocates Press (www.vegadvpress.com)
is offering a money back guarantee to CVA members for the book Guided by
the Faith of Christ: Seeking to Stop Violence and Scapegoating by CVA
chair Stephen R. Kaufman, M.D. If you don’t find the book valuable, you
can return it by the end of August for a full refund.

This was a great event to leaflet. We only went for the after-show
portions, which seems to work best at the Amway Arena. The take-rate was
great on both nights, and we handed out 537 booklets. Sophia and I were
the only ones there, and we didn't even get close to handing everyone in
the crowd a booklet. With twice as many people, we could have handed out
twice as many booklets. We also had some great conversations.

The passage relates, “The apostles returned to Jesus, and told
him all that they had done and taught. And he said to them, “Come
away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while.”

Jesus recognized that discipleship requires caring for our own
physical, emotional, and spiritual needs; otherwise we risk “burn
out,” which would make us unable to muster the energy to continue
our work. How can we recuperate? Among numerous possible strategies,
many people find that various forms of meditation help clear and
calm the mind. Meditation can involve physical relaxation, and
sometimes people meditate while engaging in relatively mindless
tasks, such as gardening, knitting, or yoga. In particular, I
recommend exercise, which is also good for the body.

Some forms of meditation help clear thoughts from the mind and
can be quite invigorating. I also find it helpful to relax and then
to contemplate those things that, in my busier, more agitated
everyday existence, cause me stress or anxiety. In a relaxed state,
I can address those concerns with a detachment that helps put things
in perspective and helps me understand where those stressors come
from, why I find them burdensome, and how I contribute to my own
suffering.

Another effective strategy is to seek the company of like-minded
people who share our concerns for animals and our recognition that a
plant-based diet is a crucial component of good stewardship of God’s
creation. Such fellowship is important, because we live among people
who, struggling to resolve their own conflicting needs, desires, and
fears, often say and do hurtful things. Indeed, I think that many
people manifest hardness of heart when it comes to animal issues
because they have been wounded by the trials and tribulations of
life. Whatever the reason, their hardness of heart can demoralize
those of us who care about animals. Therefore, however we do it, we
must attend to our emotional and spiritual wounds if we are to be
lifelong healers in a wounded world.